MWS Newsletter Volume 1: Issue 1

Complete Archives and Subscription Information

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WHAT IS AN "EFFECTIVE Web site"?

The most basic definition of an effective Web site is one that
does what it's supposed to do. This sounds simple enough.
However, when you dig a little deeper, it becomes clear that
Web sites that actually meet this goal are surprisingly rare.
In the first few issues of this newsletter, we'll explain what
an effective Web site is and how to evaluate existing Web sites.
In future issues, we'll get into the details of particular
technologies and strategies that can be used to increase the
effectiveness of your site.

KNOW YOUR GOALS

The first step in creating an effective Web site is to know why
you want the site, and what you want it to accomplish. We
recommend that you start with broad categories of goals, and
then progress to more specific goals. Examples of broad Web
site goals include:

• Provide electronic customer service
• Provide information about the company and its products or services to prospective customers
• Sell products online
• Enhance the company's image

Examples of more specific goals include:

• Sell products to a global market
• Allow customers to solve simple problems themselves through the Web site
• Give customers access to detailed product information including product specifications, photographs, and prices.
• Explain the value of the company's services

At the most detailed level of setting your Web site's goals, you
should create concrete goals. For example:

• Reduce the number of calls to the technical support department by 25%
• Generate $5000 in revenue per month
• Create awareness of the company's new service or product

WHAT'S NEXT?

After you've defined your goals, you should decide on a way to
measure each goal. If your goal is to increase revenue, measuring
your goal is easy. If your goal is to improve employee morale or
increase awareness of your company's services, it will be a
little more difficult to find a way to measure your progress.

In the next issue of Effective Web sites, we'll talk about some
of the ways to measure your existing site's effectiveness.

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Chris Minnick
Minnick Web Services
www.minnickweb.com
www.ebookhost.com
Phone: 916-551-1453
Fax: 916-551-1454

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FUTURE ISSUE PREVIEW:

Future issues of the Minnick Web Services newsletter will cover topics such as:

Understanding Web site Stats
Basics of Web Design
Usability
Accessibility
Important New Web Technologies
Evaluating New Web Technologies
How Search Engines Work
Search Engine Optimization

If you would like to suggest a topic for a future newsletter issue, please send mail to newsletter@minnickweb.com

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